FMV Games...Video Games that use Full Motion Video for they're graphics. They died out in the late 90's, and haven't been seen since, as far as I know. For many, they're stupid and have no real value. For others, such as myself, they're fun and unique. Today, I'm here to present to you a look back at the most famous (and infamous) ones. Let's start.
[img width=640 height=899]http://image.com.com/gamespot/images/bigboxshots/5/920185_53835_front.jpg[/img]
That game there is Night Trap, a game with some controversial history behind it. There's a LOT behind it's story, but the short version is that a politician called it bad in the sense that it was too violent, and everyone believed him. Over time, the hype died down, and to some, it's now a cult classic. Originally released for the Sega CD, the goal is to trap Vampires called "Augers" using various trap doors in a house to protect several young women in the house having a sleepover. Simple, but it can raise your tension sometimes, because most of the time, one wrong move means Game Over. It was also released for the 3DO and the 32X-CD.
What's Special About It: The Main Character is portrayed by Dano Plato of Diff'rent Strokes fame. Also, as mentioned before, it caused a lot of controversy, but most of it only happened because someone was full of hot air.
[img width=640 height=1256]http://image.com.com/gamespot/images/bigboxshots/6/584526_37496_front.jpg[/img]
What we have here is Wing Commander III, a game I like to call a Sleeper Hit. It's a Small-Spaceship Simulator, and your goal is to fend off the Kilrathi (Humanoid Lions). Besides the Spaceship Combat, it also plays like a typical FMV Adventure Game. You can talk to the Characters to initiate live action conversations with them, which look awesome. Wing Commander III is, without a doubt, my favorite FMV Game. Originally released for DOS, it has been ported to the 3DO and PS1.
What's Special About It: Mark Hamill, most famous for his portrayal of Luke Skywalker in Star Wars IV, V, and VI, plays the Main Character in this one, and in the fourth one, and he does an excellent job at it.
[img width=640 height=637]http://image.com.com/gamespot/images/bigboxshots/4/581284_87755_front.jpg[/img]
Mad Dog McCree is an Old West shooting game. The goal is to track down the outlaw Mad Dog McCree and save the Mayor's daughter. To do this, you have to shoot a bunch of other criminals while searching for Mad Dog. It's not too hard, but not too easy either, and the whole concept is really simple. It was originally released as an Arcade Machine, and has been ported to many other Consoles.
What's Special About It: It was actually pretty successful for an FMV Game, considering most people hate them.
Well, that's it for this short entry. It would've been longer, but I'm pretty bored right now, and I'm not really working at my fullest right now. Heh. Anyway, my next entry will be better.
[img width=339 height=481]http://blogs.setonhill.edu/MikeRubino/TheWizardDVD.jpg[/img]
Today, I'm here to review the Movie known as The Wizard. Described by most as a "90-100 Minute Commercial for Nintendo", it's actually a lot more than that. It's a really good movie, but it's certainly not perfect. Here's why:
Story: The story is this, a Young Boy wants to go to California, but because of some emotional trauma, he can't get there alone. His mother puts him in a home, and his older brother breaks him out so they can get to California. They later find out from a girl that a Video Game Tournament, Video Armageddon, is being held in California. The older brother, Corey, finds out that his little brother, Jimmy, is good at Video Games, so to prove that he doesn't need to be placed in a home, he decides to enter him into the tournament and win the prize money. The girl, Haley, agrees to help them for half of the money, and they agree, which begins they're grand adventure to California.
Video Quality: Being an older movie, you wouldn't think that the quality of the movie would be that good, but it surprisingly is. The color is bright and clear, making this one pleasant on the eyes.
Sound Quality: The sound quality isn't as good as the video quality, but it's still good. It's just above average if you ask me. I don't have any samples from the movie, so you'll have to watch it if you want to hear it.
Fun Factor: This is definitely a fun movie to watch. While it does have some sadder, more emotional moments, it also has it's funny and heartwarming moments. It can also be cheesy at times, especially during the famous "Power Glove Scene". (Video at the bottom of this post).
Would I recommend it: Yes, I would, especially if you like Video Games. This is NOT a family movie though. There's lots of foul language, and a bunch of comic mischief.
Final Score: 8.0/10
2 Points taken off for:
1. Sound Quality
2. The sadder moments. I don't like sad movies. 
Well, that's it for this review. Thanks for reading.
Power Glove Scene:
NOTE: When I said I "had no samples", I meant of the DVD. I think this footage is taken from the VHS Tape.
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